Initial Report on the Sea Joule Solar Bilge Pump

Review of the Sea Joule’s “Solar Bilge Pump”

America’s interest in “green energy” has resulted in an increase in the number of applications for solar power.  It is only natural that solar-powered applications for boats should follow this trend, especially since solar power has been an important part of boating for many years.  For decades

The Solar Bilge Pump's "real life" 30 hour tow test

boaters have relied on solar powered fans to keep cabins cool. Distance cruisers are familiar with solar powered battery charging systems.

If you read any boating magazine these days you have probably seen ads for Sea Joule Marine’s new “Solar Bilge Pump”.  Although this new product looked interesting, we were skeptical with regard to both the need for such a pump and how well it would perform in the harsh environment of an open boat.  After finding no independent reviews of this product we decided to test the Sea Joule Solar Bilge Pump.

Have you ever been away from your dinghy for a week or two?  Was it full of water, or worse, under water when you returned?  An industrial engineer and boater created the Solar Bilge Pump after experiencing this very scenario.  His neighbors requested clones, and hence this product was born.  We would not have bothered with this test if not for our own need to repeatedly bail our inflatable dinghy.  Failing to pump our rigid bottom dink caused high water to spill into a space below the floor and weighed down the boat.  For years we needed to keep a weather eye on rainfall accumulations and predicted when the dinghy would need pumping.  Our memories of wet feet and manual pumping convinced us that there was at least a potential value for an automatic dinghy bilge pump.

The "Solar Bilge Pump" on duty

Sea Joule’s Solar Bilge Pump impressed us on arrival.  It is well constructed and comes with simple instructions and mounting brackets.  Rather than place mounting screws into fiberglass we purchased industrial strength Velcro to secure the pump to the dinghy floor.  Home Depot’s Velcro and ¾ inch internal diameter tubing allowed us to complete the installation in about five minutes.

It was time for a sea trial.  During the next thirty hours or so our dinghy and its new pump leaped over waves, took aboard spray and rain, and baked in the sun.  During the next month the duo sustained further cycles of downpours and sun.

The presence of flying, biting insects in your home or boat sometimes requires a fly swatter.  What would it be worth to you to install a little, eco-friendly box that would prevent 95% of flying insects?  Put another way, annual visits to your dentist are rarely pleasurable.  What would you pay for a tiny “preventer” that would obviate your need for dental work?  Now, what would you pay for a device that effortlessly prevents the accumulation of water in your dinghy?  After using the pump we are convinced the Solar Bilge Pump is worth its cost to many boaters.  The longer it lasts (its warrantee is for one year) the lower the cost of each dry dinghy.  The Solar Bilge Pump sells for $200.  Its internal battery should last three years. A replacement battery will cost approximately $20.

Velcro makes for a quick and easy installation

Could the Solar Bilge Pump be improved upon?   Of course, yes.  If your dinghy has no “sump” or “low spot” then water up to a level of about 3/8 inch will accumulate up to the level of the pump’s float switch.  This is easily drained, using the Solar Bilge Pump, by simply lifting the bow of the dinghy for a few seconds or by towing the dinghy.  If somehow the pump could draw water from a tube placed at the dinghy’s lowest point then nearly all water could be removed.  It might also be useful to include a check valve in the pump.  Providing your own tubing will be unnecessary because Sea Joule’s President, Thomas Nugent, reports that a hose kit will be available soon.  Our own arrangement is about to change to a shorter, more aesthetically pleasing hose.  The other potential problem is flooding.  The manufacturer advises against submerging the pump underwater.  This is because, while all wire connections within the unit are watertight sealed, the battery terminals could be exposed if either a) the unit were to be placed under several feet of water or b) the unit is placed upside down under water.  Neither of these scenarios is likely to happen with normal use.  We repeatedly submerged the installed unit in seawater with no adverse affects.

Conclusion

Research has shown that humans can reliably manage up to seven different mental tasks at one time.  If bailing your dinghy is a task you need to remember, then a Solar Bilge Pump may be for you.  Not having to empty your dinghy after a heavy rain gives you one less problem to think about.  If you are away from your boat for days at a time, then your appreciation of this bilge pump will be even greater.

We plan to continue testing Sea Joule’s Solar Bilge Pump and will keep you posted.  After five weeks in the water we can certify that it does what it is advertised to do.  Having a Solar Bilge Pump aboard is a welcome addition despite the fact that our dinghy is an unsinkable inflatable.  If your dinghy is “non-inflatable”, made of wood or fiberglass, then once you try this pump you probably won’t want to be without it.

The Solar Bilge Pump is manufactured in Port Jefferson, New York by Sea Joule Marine, Inc., You may contact industrial engineer and boater Thomas Nugent, President of Sea Joule, via telephone at (631) 828-5101 or through Sea Joule’s website, www.seajoule.com.  Please note that, while Sea Joule prides itself on same-day shipping, the company will be closed during vacation between July 10, 2010 and July 25, 2010.